Apparatus for the manufacture of leather



(No Model.)

W. SOHWEIOKHARDT.

APPARATUS EUETHE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER.

No. 385,644. Patented July 3, 1888.

fltlyjv forced aeration, the stuffing of the same; and

tinrrno STATES arem Orricie.

VVHJLIAM SOHWVEIOKHARD'I, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,644, dated July 3, 1888.

Serial No. 202,006. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM SOHWEICK- HARDT, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in an Apparatus for the Manufacture of Leather, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, and in which FigureI is an end elevation of the apparatus, showing the exhaust-tube in its passage from the operating barrel to the rotary-fan chamber. Fig. Ilisa vertical section taken on line II II, Fig. 1, showing the interior of the barrel or cylinder in which the hides are operated on. It also shows the steam-coil heater, the perforated flanged disks through which the air has ingress and egress into and from the barrel. It also shows the exhaust-tube and retary fan that generates the exhaust. Fig. III is an end or edge view of one of the disks with perforated flanged edges which cap the tubular trnnnions that allow free passage for the air into and from the barrel; and Fig. 1V is a front view of one of the same aerating-disks, with part broken away to show the interior of the disk-chamber.

This invention relates to devices for the manufacture of leather and hastening, by

the invention consists in features of novelty, hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the d raw 1 ngs,in which 1 ike figu res of reference indicatelike parts in all the views, 1 represents the periphery, and 2 the ends, of the barrel or cylinder in which the hides are aerated. This cylinder may be made of wood, sheet metal, or any other suitable material. The cylinder at the end through which the air has ingress is supported by a large tubular trunnion, 3, and at the other end through which the air has egress by a smaller tubular trunnion, 4. Both trunnions are preferably of cast-iron. The tube 5 through the trunnion 3 is preferably twice the diameter of the one 6 through the other trunnion.

7 represents two perforate flanged disks that form caps over the tube-openings in the trunnions, and they and said trunnions are firmly secured to the ends or heads of the cylinder by screw-bolts 8, that pass through the angle flange 9 of the disk, the end of the cylinder,

and the oircum ferential flange 10 of the trunnions, and are firmly secured in their seats by nuts ll. The peripheral llange 12 of said disks have perforations 13. through which the air not only freely passes, but, in consequence of the radiating position of the perforations and the centrifugal force thus el'igendered, the air is both driven to and the exhaust drawn from the periphery of the cylinderchamber.

The trunnions of the cylinder have their bearings in thejournal boxes let, that are supported on and secured to the frames 15. The cylinder turning on its trunnions in said bearings has thus a free rotary movement under the operation of the drive-belt 16, which is operated by any suitable power and works around the middle periphery of the cylinder, which is thus constituted its own pulley, that transmits the power from asteam-engine, water-wheel, or any other suitable power used for the purpose. \Vhen disconnecting from said power to stop the rotation of the cylinder, the belt maybe cast from said drive-pul' ley or the union otherwise disconnected, as it is evident that the belt cannot be cast from the cylinder unless, indeed, it were first cast from the drive-pulley or detached.

17 represents studs that project internally from the inner periphery of the cylinder, and which have stems 18 ot' a somewhat smaller diameter, so that the enlarged diameter of the studs provide shoulders that sit against the inner periphery of the cylinder. The stems are inserted in their perforate seats that pass through the drum of the cylinder,and in which they are firmly secured by the keys 1!), with the exception of one row of said studs around the middle of the drum-peripheryof the stems, which do not project, as the drivebelt occupies the space. The stems of said row may be wedged or otherwise fastened in their seats by any suitable means.

20 represents a door or shutter in one or, if preferred, both ends of the cylinder, to close the opening or openings through which the ski: s areinserted for stuffing and aeration. A bar, 21, is secured to the center of the door by the pivot bolt 22, and when the door is in its closed position thebar is swung round into engagement with the hooks 23, that are screwed or bolted on the end or ends of the cylinder on each side of the door.

24 represents a hot-air chamber, in which the air, which has ingress through perforations or a perforate aperture, 25, through the floor of said chamber, is heated by a steam coil-pipe, 26, which is supplied by the pipe 27, that has connection with any suitable steam-generator, and the steam -supply from which and consequent heat in the chamber is regulated by the stop-cock 28.

A thermometer, 29, whose bulb descends through the dome into the hot-air chamber, registers the heat thereof. A door or shutter, 30, closes an opening near the top of the hotair chamber, to the surrounding casing of which it may be secured by any suitable means. When the atmosphere is sufficiently warm not to require the services of the heating-coil, said door is opened to let the air in direct on its way to the cylinder through the tube 5 of the trunnion 3.

The trunnion 4, on the other end of the cylinder, has an extension beyond the journalbox, in which it has its bearings, and carries on said extension a tightdrive pulley, 31, and loose pulley or wheel 32. A drive-belt, 33, connects said drive-pulley with the tight pulley 34 on the shaft35, and when the cylinder is rotating drives the shaft 35 and the paddles of the rotary fan 36 in the fan-drum 37. A loose pulley or wheel, 38, alongside the tight pulley 34 on said shaft, in conjunction with the loose pulley 32 on the extension of the trunnion 4, provides a seat for the drive-belt 33 when itis cast from the adjoining tight pulleys at times that it is desired to disconnect the power from the rotaryfan.

39 represents a suction exhausttube whose flanged end 40 is loosely held by the unionjoint 41 to the end of the tubular trunnion 4, the union screwing on the end of said trunnion and turning with it, while the exhaust-tube remains stationary and is held by its periph eral flange Within the trunnion. The exhausttube branches out immediately above the fandrum into bifurcated ends 42, that deliver the exhaust to the fan from both sides of the drum. 43 is the spout that discharges from the rotary fan, and 44 a thermometer whose bulb enters the exhaust-tube and registers thetemperature therein.

The various partsof the apparatus may be constructed of any suitable material.

The operation in the preparation of the hides and aeration thereof in the machine is as follows: The skins are soaked a few days in cold water, and are then put in lime-water until the hair is loosened, then scraped and cleansed and put in fresh water until they become perfectly soft and clean. They are then partly dried. The skins are then placed on a table and well greased with a mixture made of tallow, horse-grease, butter, starch-flour, and fish-oil. They are then put ina barrel or cyl inder, the studs 17 in which prevcntthe hides from congregating together and work in the stuffing as the cylinder is rotated by the drivebclt 16. At the same time steam is turned on into the steam-coil pipe 26 by turning the stopcock 28, so as to heat the hot-air chamber 24,

that supplies the heated air through the large the centrifugal force engendered by the rapid rotation of the cylinder and said disk the air is forcibly injected and driven among and into the hides and skins. At the same time the exhaust that is actuated by the rotary suction-fan 36 through the exhaust-pipe 39 and perforate disk 7, that caps the inner end of the tubular trunnion by the interradial direction thus given to the expiration of the ammonia-gas-laden air through the perforations of said disk, provides a powerful suction exhaust from all parts of the cylinder, that secures a powerful current throughout the whole apparatus via the hot-air chamber, the stnffing-cylinder, exhaust-tube, and rotary fan. The hides are by this quick aeration rapidly denuded of the ammonia and other gases that are required to be expelled, and at the same time they are rapidly stuffed by the ingredients with which the hides have been. dressed, as stated, under the pressure of the aerated current and the kneading of the studsthat project inwardly from the periphery of the cylinder.

The skins or hides may, if preferred, be put through the process of greasing and stuffing two, three, or more times, according to their condition; but even the heaviest hides for beltleather will generally be found to be thoroughly cured after the third operation. The work is effected without the use of tan, drugs, alum, or other ingredients that are generally used.

IIO

By my device, as described abovfthe tnickest belt-leather is manufactured in from thirtysixtofortyhours. Skinsthathavebeen partly tanned can also be advantageously finished by this device.

I have shown and described the exhausttube as bifurcated at its lower end adjacent to the drum of the rotary fan and as entering said drum at both sides; but I do not confine myself to said arrangement of the foot of the exhausttube, for it may be single instead of hifurcated at its lower end and enter the drum on one side only.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the supports and driving-belt,of a rotary cylinder provided with inwardly-projecting lugs, tubular trunnions on which said cylinder works, and a fan having communication with the interior of the cylinder through one of said trunnions, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination, with the supports, of a rotary cylinder, tubular trnnnions on which the cylinder works, a hot-air chamber having a steam-coil located therein, and a fan, said hot-air chamber and fan having direct cominnnication with the interior of the cylinder through the said tubular t-rnnnions, snbstair tially as described.

8. The combination, with a rotary cylinder and the tubular trnnnions, of disks secured to the sides of the cylinder opposite the inner ends of the trnnnions, said disks having perforations in their peripheries, snbstantiallyns described.

4. The combination, with the supports, of a rotary cylinder, the kneading-studs secured thereto, the tubular trnnnions, the disks having perforations in their peripheries, the exhaust-pipe, the fan connected therewith, and the hot-air chamber having a steam-coil therein, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the rotating cylinder,

the tubular trnnnions on which it works, the

WVILLIAM SOHVEICKHARDT.

In presence of- Jos. WAHLE, EDwD. S. KNIGHT. 

